I, too, should mention that this guy has annoyed me ridiculously — for doing nothing. I was working hard to make what seemed to me to be an important post, by filling in critical gaps in the Grateful Dead's history. He has disrespected the core Spirit of This Forum. And Cliff is right, we are mostly all guilty for saying nothing - including me.

Let me remind everyone how "RBNW....new and improved!" treated me recently: please browse my Alembic history post from Sept 15, 2009. My point is, after being treated like this on here, it makes me feel like a worthless moron next time I come back here and attempt to make another halfway decent posting. So, it promotes being an idiot here, imo. But I'm not saying I'm perfect - and I do try and promote open-mindedness and a sense of humor here w/o insulting anyone directly. I believe many people share this frustration. It deteriorates this Forum immensely.

I've always continued to say, "I remain today, thanks to all of you, a cured man yet again - so that I may live yet another day on our planet. You all are my therapy and stress relief. I have learned enormously in your presence." Thanks. I figured this was a good place to make this point, rather than making any type of attack or harping about it.

For what it's worth, Monte, I never even noticed it, and not that that should mean squat, but I tend to think that most folks here just "filter out" the odd posts like that...it just occurs more on some days than others.

You clearly are a respected and valued member here, and among those that contribute regularly, that goes without saying...you receive as many compliments on your efforts as LiA and would have to rank you up there with him, Dr F, Dali/Dham and a handful of others that unlike Dire, Rob and me, do alot more than just "talk" while at the Forum.

As you know, it's my talking that brought down the Healy thunder, so take some comfort in knowing that sorta thing won't happen to you...hmmm, hope folks don't think I am developing a complex about Dan; and you shouldn't develop one about anyone here either!

The problem is not the content of Rich's posts. Or whether he is talking Football, chatting with Tito, or whatever the hell it is on any given day! You all want to make this a chatroom, as Rob has pointed out, that is your perogative.

What I took issue with is his annoying habit of modifying his posts constantly, for no reason other than moving the thread back to the top of the page, several times a day, and even several days later...

I was joking with UCSC, not you BD. And, I care too. I am completely unqualified for their job as it was posted. I am not a Librarian of any type, shape, or form. I am a very handy technical asset. I qualify as digital archivist "jack of all trades." I wanted to make sure and point that out to them. By making my thoughts public, I felt it would generate further interest, and perhaps set the bar more optimally for them. I feel strongly that I could provide them with an excellent alternative. Thanks for picking up on that, and carrying the ball...

Got it. I do feel sorry for whoever they hire in that he/she will get a pile of criticism from the likes of us hereabouts. I'm just glad it's less than a hour away so that I can go poke around once up and open to the public. I know a certain former manager that wants to consult the same for research/writing purposes....

Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead

Actually, I do care. But still, I'm more interested to know whether you got any type of response from UCSC. If not, I do think your contributions, those of LIA, Skydawg, Dr. Flashback, and others here should be made part of the same.

Good point, bd. The essays that I've read from these posters are a priceless resource and an excellent guide for those seeking an analysis of a certain time period or a certain song. Would be great to see these essays all compiled somewhere and preserved for another generation.

Monte – good on you for what you do and a definite tip of the tam-o-shanter to you for being one of the few tapers – a genuine producer as well as a consumer – to step through these doors. I just kind of take issue with talk of ‘disrespecting the Core Spirit of the Forum’ because I just wonder what that Core Spirit is exactly.

We’ve been around and around this issue endlessly, but basically this a public forum and anyone can come here and post just about anything, and anything that gets posted is public domain and open to being praised, mocked, agreed with, argued about or more than likely simply ignored. Open door means you have to be prepared for those you consider idiots to walk in along with those you consider to be worthy of attention.

None of us can expect to be accorded special treatment no matter how much effort we put in, because you really can’t do anything about who’s going to read your post and how they're going to respond to it - and nor should you. There’s no point in getting annoyed about it. Those who want to engage with you on your own terms will be obvious to you, the others you can safely ignore.

By the way, I came across one of your recordings on a music blog the other day and wondered if you knew about it.

I take issue with that...I am not gonna let Healy just fade away after insulting my core issue. If my cooling rods wore thru their graphite circumfri (like that one?), I figure I can build ten more such structures to further fuel this place that has taken over, or perhaps, replaced the pathetic life I once had...

I remain half-heartedly commited to building the Forum of my dreams via collective KubyeYah posting of each and every Forumite I can coerce, beg, or otherwise bend to my will...and if you still want to chauffeur me around in Wales, it would be grand. I'll even save you a place in the cabinet, or whatever you calls it--like the "exchequer" one I always loved!

If I was deleted 5 times and kept coming back with "new and improved" names, you'd think I was an asshole who kept getting deleted right?

You guys coddled that immature pile of dung as he vandalized my forum and scared away newbies from your forum by burying other people's posts for years and now all of a sudden you realize he's a bone smuggler?

This place never ceases to amaze... a psych major could write their thesis on this forum alone.

Not sticking upfor anyone, i always try to be a straight shooter here... But after all the evidence is shown, we are just (may I speak for more than me?) Just a abuncnch of stoopid Deadheads, and cannot help it...

Hit the nail again, Cush. Definitely you are one of the straightest arrows around here, and definitely there are those who think the very act of simply listening to a little Grateful Dead now and then clothes them in some sort of righteous armour. How wrong they are.

Nah, stream and post to your heart's content. You're a curmudgeon in a Thompson kind of way, which is maybe why I like you so much (yeccchhh!). I shall definitely bookmark this for a listen because I (genuinely) value your opinions.

I want to hear Oar as covered by Wilco and Feist. I've paid attention to it in bits and pieces. Pretty cool idea and should definitely lead to some other interesting collaborations. Beck does some real neat stuff, now if we could just get him away from the Xenu worshippers....

RT doing 3 solo acoustic shows this week, request only, in Saratoga just up the road. Might try to make final night. Word is full on west coast full band tour in February of next year. I can provide the lodging and transport to several of those. Open invite whenever.

Jeeezzzz NC, is that what happened? I do recall you posting about an attack, but I am sorry to say, I didn't recall it was this poster...I do recall passing along sympathies, and you have those again...I thought it was the "other" (?) troll at the time, whomever that was...

As Rob notes, not much any of us can do one way or another, and I suppose I should stop the whole PM biz cause it gives folks the wrong impression (ie, that I, or anyone for that matter, is in control).

I was having a discussion with my roommate the other day about Ghandi. The man was his hero in high school and he studied his work extensively.

Here's his only qualm: Ghandi said that the work he did required absolute faith in God. Without this faith he would have been unable to risk his life doing the dangerous work he was involved in. The only reason he could go to such extremes for his beliefs was because he knew that if he died, his family would be cared for by God.

Granted, my friend is a devote atheist and a Marxist to boot.

So, I ask of you as proclaimed Ghandi-ist, is it possible to be a Ghandi without having the absolute faith that the man himself said was required?

I know this is a very open-ended question and that's probably because my brain needs some glucose... dinner time!

Ah, I think that Gandhi would allow you to substitute "truth" for "God" in that; he spoke excessively about tolerance of all religions when they arrived at fundamentally similar moral positions, and in many ways he was a secular humanist in spite of his professions on religion, in my view.

Nonetheless, I do not feel that he took satisfaction in some sort of materialistic notion of salvation in the respect you allude to in regard to feeling his place/responsibilities would be covered, so to speak. I think he valued his efforts purely in the sense of achieving justice/truth and betterment for humankind rather than satisfying deities, etc.

But, to be honest, I am not that familiar with it all...I certainly never got the necessity of God in it all since he at times provided advice on how to achieve such things in a Thoreau esque, civil disobd fashion.

I think this Ghandi discussion will be yet another in a series of conversations I've had with my roommate regarding the need for some set of guiding principles in directing one's actions for the betterment of mankind.

He is a very intelligent atheist who feels like he can change the world for the better (I know he can) but does not know exactly how. I keep telling him he doesn't have to know how - but if his principles are in order and ingrained in his logic, then his actions will be in accordance with these wishes.

Hopefully I can link you to some of his philosophy eventually as I've been encouraging him to write down his ideas!

Hey DP--this is what makes this Forum a beautiful place...does that sound sappy? I think you're room-mate is spot on; he's making a self analytical effort toward the most noble end--humankind for its own sake rather than because he's compelled by one or another "force" (God, whatever)...of course, in the end it all comes down to the golden rule, and it comes back to you and yours which is what really matters, right?

You're right, WT, this dude is on a noble quest and he is very strong willed and intelligent as well.

As far as having faith, I think everyone who's got their head on straight (this is actually optional) believes in a set of principles, a personal philosophy of sorts. There is something in most people's lives that serves the same function that faith in a religion or philosophy or psychology or some other kind of science does for someone else.

Lots of people may not be even aware that they have a set of ideals that are dictating their lifestyles and behaviors - take consumerism for example, it's pretty much a religion these days. Did Bush tell us to grieve, or to seek community, or God, when 9/11 happened? He told us to go shopping, because that is our way of life, just as following spiritual ideals is the most important thing in other cultures' ways of life.

"of course, in the end it all comes down to the golden rule, and it comes back to you and yours which is what really matters, right?"

Exactly. This reminds me of another question we pondered:

Gonna preface this by saying that there are people who go out there and decide they are going to change the world - philosophers, politicians, whoever they are, not all of them have good intentions. If there's a bunch of egotistical assholes out there trying to change the world and make a whole bunch of money at the expense of others and the environment, well, why can't we, the gandhis of this world, also go out there and now we can change the world guided by compassion, equality, justice, kindness?

Of course we can. But here's the kicker:

How many people who were truly revolutionary, people who changed the world, were able to be happy in their personal lives (get married, settle down, etc.)?

It's somewhat of a trade-off in this regard... but of course you change the world by changing one person at a time :)

Yep, live is full of tough choices; lots of tradeoffs too...in the end, though, I think that each of us can make a difference, and though entirely too cliche, one interaction at a time (no, this doesn't mean we have to be perc'd as "nice", whatever that is, each and every post!) is what it boils down to...I wish I weren't a short tempered broken down old fart at times, but then I see my old man in me, and think that in some small way I took some of the good, and a little less of the bad, and moved my own little piece of the human race ahead one tenth of a step or so (to bring us around to a Jerry-ism).

It's late here so I'll be brief. Speaking as a confirmed atheist it annoys me profoundly when anyone suggests that a belief in some deity or other is a prerequisite to having a moral compass, as if you can't be trusted to 'do the right thing' without guidance from 'above'. So, yes it is possible to be a Gandhi without faith - what's required is a belief in the here and now, not a reliance on an intangible reward in the hereafter.

You know, PM, sir, I actually thought this place was more under control at first because there were people with official titles and positions. I was waiting for quite some time to find out who was the Secretary, the Attorney General, and so on...

Alas, I discovered we have an official bovinophile, an accused sheep-fucker, a wordsmith, a taper, a lot of very nice people, and a handful of assholes.